The City Government of Davao and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) on Tuesday at Matina Enclaves, Davao City.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and PSA XI Supervising Statistical Specialist Ma. Leah C. Magracia, who represented PSA XI Regional Director Randolph Anthony B. Gales, signed the MOA.

Adeline G. Batucan, the OIC Supervising Statistical Specialist of PSA Davao del Sur, the 2024 CBMS is crucial in the updating of social registries for targeting beneficiaries in the city.

“CBMS is important so that those marginalized or poor households are captured to be given priority by the government,” Batucan said.

She also announced that the 2024 CBMS will also be simultaneously conducted with the 2024 Census of Population or PopCen after a series of coordination meetings that took place between the city government and PSA in 2023, during which, the City Government of Davao has shown willingness to participate in the project. It was also after these meetings that the parties were able to arrive at the MOA signing event.

“After this MOA signing, we will commence the CBMS and POPCEN enumeration this coming July 2024. This means that our enumerators will be conducting house-to-house interviews with respective households that is why we also urge citizens to accommodate our enumerators or interviewers at your convenient time to answer completely and accurately our PopCen and CBMS questions. Hopefully, we can turn over our data by the first quarter of 2025,” Batucan said.

Mayor Baste, in his speech, thanked the City Planning and Development Office for doing its responsibility as part of its work in delivering services to the community.

In a message read by Magracia, Gales said that the ceremonial signing of the MOA is not a mere procedure but a testament to dedication to data-driven governance and community empowerment.

“The CBMS is an essential tool in our pursuit for accurate, timely, and disaggregated data the system allows us to have deeper insights into the socio-economic conditions of the grassroots level enabling us to identify and address the needs of our communities with precision and empathy. By bridging the gap between national policies and local realities the CBMS ensures that no one is left behind in our journey towards progress,” Gales said.

He added that the partnership between the PSA and the city government underscores mutual recognition of the importance of reliable data in crafting policies that are responsive to the needs of citizens.

“The data collected through the CBMS will serve as a cornerstone for evidence-based decision making helping us to tailor programs and initiatives that directly benefit the people of Davao,” he said.

Gales also extended his gratitude to Mayor Baste and the City Government for their unwavering support. He commended the City Planning and Development Office for dedicating efforts to make the partnership a reality.

He said he was hopeful that in the successful implementation of the CBMS, the PSA, and the City Government will be able to gather data that will be helpful in the crafting of policies and empower communities to actively participate in development. CIO